Illinois man arrested for alleged DUI after “joyride”

A man is in custody following what police are calling a “drunken joyride” in which a city-owned vehicle was damaged. The Illinois resident is being held against $25,000 bail after he was arrested for DUI when police allegedly caught him driving a local salt truck. The 24-year-old is currently being held at a county jail.

According to police records, the man allegedly stole the salt truck sometime on New Year’s Day, at which point he proceeded to drive the vehicle around town. At some point, a police vehicle was damaged, and in the course of the chase, approximately $10,000-$20,000 worth of damage was done to the salt truck. The man was subsequently arrested.

He now faces charges including DUI, burglary, theft of a vehicle, driving without a license, damaging state property and eluding police. If found guilty, he could face considerable jail time and fines. No court date has been set pertaining to this case as of this report.

This truly unusual case presents unique challenges to Illinois prosecutors. Given the number of charges being brought against this individual, each of them will have to be proven separately from the rest. Prosecutors will need to prove that the man did, indeed, steal the salt truck, that he wilfully fled from police, and in the case of the DUI, that he was intoxicated at the time. The defense may consider exploring the possibility of a plea bargain, perhaps with court-mandated rehabilitation as a means of avoiding a jail sentence. In any event, the accused man is fully entitled to be treated fairly and accorded the same legal rights that protect all individuals accused of a crime in Illinois.

Source: thetelegraph.com,Salt truck damaged in drunken joyride, officials say, No author, Jan. 2, 2014